Christian Sidor

Fossil hunting at the bottom of the world

Most of the continent of Antarctica is covered in ice up to 15,000 feet deepalmost three mileswith an average depth of 7,000 feet. Thats a lot of ice. But those crazy scientists classify Antarctica as a desertyou know, those sandy places with camels and oil wells. The Sahara desert gets an average precipitation of just under three inches a year, while the interior of Antarctica, areas called oases, receive about an inch less. Theres no ice there, no glaciersjust lots of rocks and dreadfully bitter winds. And fossils. Apparently, a long, long, long time ago, Antarctica was much more hospitable, with a climate pleasant enough to support forests and mammals. University of Washington vertebrate paleontologist Christian Sidor lectures on Antarcticas fossils tonight. Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N., 443-2001. $5. 7:30 p.m. BRION KINNE